Curriculum developers are reviewing comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in schools to make it more age-appropriate, inclusive and effective as teenage pregnancies remain a growing concern. The Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) says the review will strengthen the delivery of CSE and ensure that learners, including those with disabilities, receive accurate and relevant information about their bodies, relationships, sexual and reproductive health, rights and personal safety. Curriculum developers from key government institutions, partner organisations and civil society groups are being urged to strengthen their technical skills in inclusive and gender-transformative CSE design, review existing toolkits and teacher guides, identify gaps affecting learners with disabilities and develop recommendations for improved implementation. ALSO READ: The daunting effects of teenage pregnancy The exercise is taking place amid concerns over the continued rise in teenage pregnancies. Janvier Ntibizerwa, a curriculum specialist at REB responsible for training school leaders and teachers to deliver CSE, said an assessment showed that teenage pregnancy remains a major challenge. “Teenage pregnancy increased from 5% to 8% in 2025. The 3% increase was caused by a spike during Covid-19 when children were in communities. The second factor is misinformation spread on social media about sexuality. Therefore, children become curious about what can deteriorate them,” he said. According to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS7), the highest pregnancy rate was recorded among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19. Ntibizerwa said the government is considering digital platforms as another way of reaching adolescents with accurate information. “We have thought of digitising sexuality education so that adolescents can access accurate information about sexuality education on social media platforms such as TikTok and others,” he said. He also called for closer coordination between government institutions, non-governmental organisations, parents and other stakeholders to address teenage pregnancy. A capacity-building programme has been designed for 40 curriculum developers focusing on inclusive CSE, as well as school violence prevention curricula and programmes that cater for all learners, including those with disabilities. ALSO READ: Over 78,000 babies born to teen mothers in four years The ongoing review and mapping exercise is examining existing CSE toolkits, teacher guides and related resources. It is assessing which materials are intended for primary, lower-secondary and upper-secondary education, their approval status, ownership and availability. The review is also identifying gaps in curriculum design, teacher preparation and school-level implementation. It will examine how CSE can contribute to preventing sexual violence, bullying, harassment, harmful gender norms, abuse and other forms of school violence. Curriculum developers are also assessing the need for age-appropriate content, clear learning outcomes, teacher guidance, assessment approaches and stronger coordination among education, health and child protection institutions. “We have to work together to prepare curricula and shed light on what is done at school and what is done at home. There is a role for schools and parents,” Ntibizerwa said. CSE is integrated as one of the eight cross-cutting issues in the competence-based curriculum. It covers sexual and reproductive health, human growth, relationships, gender, and prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. In primary schools, it is integrated into Science and Elementary Technology and Social Studies. Ntibizerwa said teacher capacity-building is planned for September, partly because of staff turnover. “Some teachers have left, while there are new teachers who need to understand Comprehensive Sexuality Education, which is integrated into the competence-based curriculum in primary schools, TVET schools and others,” he said. 20,000-24,000 births annually The scale of teenage pregnancy remains a concern, with an assessment of births to adolescent girls over the past decade showing that between 20,000 and 24,000 babies are born to teenage mothers each year. Jacques Nsengiyumva, Executive Director of the Rwanda Women Adolescent and Child Health Initiative (RWACHI), said the annual number is equivalent to the population of between one and two sectors. Over a decade, he said, the figure is comparable to the population of two to three districts. He said some children begin engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 10 and subsequently become pregnant. ALSO READ: Debate on ‘right approach to teen pregnancy’ persists as cases rise The 2023 Rwanda Vital Statistics Report, published by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, recorded 102 births in 2022 to children aged 10 to 14 and 75 births in the same age group in 2023. Teenage pregnancy is also linked to increased risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, particularly where sexual intercourse is unprotected. The consequences include school dropout, maternal health risks, gender inequality and reduced economic opportunities for young women. Nsengiyumva said 8.1% of girls aged 15 to 19 had been pregnant. The proportion was higher among girls whose highest educational attainment was primary education, at 12.7%, compared with 3.8% among those who had attained secondary education. “We have to work together to reduce school dropouts because there is an Education For All programme. Continued attention is needed to ensure that Comprehensive Sexuality Education in schools is age-appropriate, practical, inclusive and consistently implemented in schools,” he said. He said more work is needed to improve the implementation of the existing curriculum. “The secondary school curriculum was reviewed and approved. There is another curriculum for primary school being reviewed, to which we are contributing our ideas. We are conducting an assessment to examine existing curricula, those under development, and where improvements are needed to address challenges,” he said. Experts have called for greater scrutiny of the quality, timing, accessibility and effectiveness of CSE, alongside improved access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health information and services. Dr Ben Alexandre Mpozembizi, coordinator of the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future project at UNESCO Rwanda, said misinformation on social media was becoming another challenge. “Our goal is to equip young people with accurate knowledge about reproductive health, HIV prevention and sexual violence so they can make informed choices,” he said, stressing the importance of open communication between parents and children. Activists have also welcomed Law No. 026/2025 regulating healthcare services, which lowered the minimum age for independent access to healthcare from 18 to 15. The change allows adolescents to seek sexual and reproductive health services, including modern contraceptives. Activists have called for stronger youth-friendly services, improved CSE in schools, better parent-child communication, expanded community-based prevention programmes and stronger monitoring systems. They also recommend greater support for the reintegration of pregnant adolescents into education and society.
